We finally had a free weekend in Charlottesville (or as the locals call it – “C-ville”) where we could relax and hang out around this town we were living in all summer! Well, I don’t know about relaxing…it ended up being one of our most packed adventures this summer, but we wouldn’t have it any other way!
Downtown Mall
Most of our co-workers said we had to go check out the C-ville Downtown Mall area in order to experience a lot of what the city has to offer- and they were pretty much right! Lined with cool old buildings (like the rest of Virginia), this little outdoor strip comes jam-packed with restaurants, street musicians, outdoor patios, clothing shops, and other miscellaneous stores that give off a great vibe. Don’t be too worried about parking either- there is a giant parking lot and parking ramp on the corner of E Water St and 4th St SE that’ll put you 1-2 blocks away from the action.
Downtown Charlottesville
Fun street performers along the open air mall!
Downtown Charlottesville
Fun street performers along the open air mall!
Fridays After Five
As we strolled back and forth through the outdoor mall trying to figure out what to do, we kept noticing more and more people heading to the east end of the mall, so we decided to join the hordes. After you pass 6th St and go through a security checkpoint on the left-hand side, you erupt onto a full outdoor pavilion complete with food trucks and wine/beer vendors scattered on the outer rim. The area itself is called the Sprint Pavilion, and this is C-ville’s Fridays After Five event where local and regional musicians play on-stage to a mass of people starting their weekends off right. This is where everyone hangs out for a good 2-3 hours before the night continues. We grabbed a beer from Starr Hill and soaked in the atmosphere.
Fridays After Five!
Where they have lots of local beer options!
Fridays After Five!
Where they have lots of local beer options!
Citizen Burger
Eventually we had to eat somewhere downtown, and Citizen Burger had some of the longer wait times, so we figured it was for good reason. This place prides itself on using only grass-fed beef, free range chicken, and hand-picked local ingredients for their burgers- and boy does it stand out. After waiting 45 minutes for a table, we ordered our burgers and sweet potato fries. Megan created her own burger, and I went with “The Executive”. And I would probably go with this $21 burger every day for the rest of my life, if it wasn’t for the risk of dying young or going broke.
Citizen Burger
Delicious local food!
Citizen Burger
Delicious local food!
Champion Brewing
For our Friday night relaxation, we decided to hit some of the popular breweries in the heart of C-ville. The first stop was Champion Brewing near the Sprint Pavilion, which had some good beers and an even better string band playing impressively fast on their outdoor patio. Our top try here was the Oaty McOatface.
Champion Brewing
Three Notch’d Craft Kitchen and Brewing
Three Notch’d Craft Kitchen and Brewing
Stop number two for our brewery tour was Three Notch’d Brewing. It easily had the biggest space and the most land of any brewpub in the downtown area. It has a nice little front-side outdoor patio with some great wooden features on the inside. Their backyard space is where you want to be though. They could throw a massive party here- and for Father’s Day celebrations this year they were advertising an axe throwing event. They also had the largest tap list as well between all our stops for the night. Favorite beers- Firefly Nights and Biggie S’mores.
Three Notch’d Craft Kitchen and Brewing
We always like getting flights so we can try several beers!
Three Notch’d Craft Kitchen and Brewing
We always like getting flights so we can try several beers!
South Street Brewing
The final brewery spot- South Street Brewing– is actually located just southwest of where we said to park for the downtown mall. It definitely has more of a bar feeling to it rather than microbrewery, but it was still fun. Their bartenders were super nice. They offer flights of all their beers on tap- which I think came out to 12, 3 oz. pours. We weren’t crazy about any of their beers but enjoyed the Soft Serve porter the most.
South Street Brewery
Coupe’s
Some of you may not know, but Charlottesville is home to the University of Virginia Cavaliers. So, if you walk down Main St from the downtown mall you will inevitably enter into the college bar scene and then into the campus grounds near the Rotunda. We thought we’d throw it back to our youthful years, so we hit up Coupe’s! This is essentially a basement bar with a tiny outdoor patio perfect for every college-aged kid. It was packed. I think everyone taking summer classes was here. Now there was a college band playing covers of Red Hot Chili Peppers in the patio, so I can’t blame them for flocking here. We were easily the oldest ones here enjoying the music and standing right in the middle of the party on a broken picnic table from people dancing so hard.
Coupe’s: where all of the college kids hang out!
Bodo’s
With little sleep, our Saturday morning kicked off bright and early at Bodo’s Bagels. This is your tried and true bagel breakfast sandwich or bagel and cream cheese hot spot- and it is very good. The bagels are New York style which makes them extra fantastic. We went with the classic sausage/ham, egg and cheese sandwich.
Bodo’s Bagel with a view of the library Thomas Jefferson designed on UVA’s campus.
Bodo’s Bagel with a view of the library Thomas Jefferson designed on UVA’s campus.
Paradox Pastry
Megan has decided with our time here in Virginia that every meal needs dessert, including breakfast! So off we went to our second breakfast at Paradox Pastry. This is a great little bakery/coffee shop actually located back near South Street Brewing and where we parked downtown Friday night. Literally everything looked good, so be wise and choose what your heart desires.
Paradox Pastry
Goods made by a baker who graduated from Cordon Bleu Cooking School in Paris…yum!
Paradox Pastry
Goods made by a baker who graduated from Cordon Bleu Cooking School in Paris…yum!
Montpelier
After stuffing ourselves, we drove out to Montpelier– James Madison’s home. The drive onto the grounds is simply splendid, and you truly start to grasp the enormity of these historic estates as you walk the grounds and see the actual home. We hiked in the forest behind the home before our tour. The guide leading us through the multiple rooms was probably one of the best speakers we’ve come by on a tour and he was very knowledgeable. Learning about the Father of our Constitution, as well as how much of a role his slaves played in the family’s everyday life, puts a lot into perspective. This was my favorite estate because I loved the grounds and it is the only historic home where you do not need a ticket to have a picnic on the front lawn.
Montpelier – James Madison’s home
There are several trails on the Montpelier property.
And a great view of the mountains!
This is the desk where the Virginia Plan was drafted – thanks James Madison!
The Montpelier property also has a very interesting exhibit on slavery.
James Madison’s grave, along with his family.
Montpelier – James Madison’s home
There are several trails on the Montpelier property.
And a great view of the mountains!
This is the desk where the Virginia Plan was drafted – thanks James Madison!
The Montpelier property also has a very interesting exhibit on slavery.
James Madison’s grave, along with his family.
Barboursville Vineyards
We also discovered in our local research that Virginia is home to a lot of well-respected wineries. You might as well call it the Napa of the east coast. Just 20-30 miles surrounding C-ville there are at least 30 wineries. Our first wine stop was Barboursville Vineyards. It is home to mansion ruins that were built by Thomas Jefferson; you can bring your drink out to the ruins and wander around. If you choose to do a generic tasting, the tasting room takes you through multiple bar areas, where you start with the bruts and whites and pace yourself to the red dessert wines. All in all, it’s about 20 wines you get taste, so be prepared to feel a slight buzz by the end. They are probably most known for Octagon, which is a red blend, and has been rated one of the top 100 wines in America. You have to pay separately for this one, but if you like reds, it is worth it!
Barboursville Vineyards
Where you can taste at least 20 types of wine!
And check out the Barboursville ruins!
Barboursville Vineyards
Where you can taste at least 20 types of wine!
And check out the Barboursville ruins!
Keswick Vineyards
Just a short drive from Barboursville sits the Keswick Vineyards, a more family-oriented space with live music on their patio, a food truck, and a dog park! They have an awesome outdoor space, and unfortunately if you do a standard tasting you just stand inside the whole time. Our advice- get done with a tasting as fast as you can so you can get a full pour of something you enjoyed and sip it outside.
Keswick Vineyards
Mount Vernon
Up next- our longest drive of the day to one of the most visited homes in America- Mount Vernon. It takes about two hours to drive east to George Washington’s famed home from C-ville. We arrived at the latest time we could in order to see mostly everything. At our 1st President’s estate you can walk the grounds from the gardens to his grave site, and even down to the wharf area along the Potomac. The house tour is basically self-guided and very structured so they can move people in and out efficiently. By far the best part was the view on the back patio. Unfortunately, the home itself was undergoing renovation/restoration, so it didn’t look that pretty. Near the entrance of the grounds your ticket includes admission to the Museum and Education Center. Here we experienced the “Be Washington” and “4D Revolutionary War” exhibits, as well as came across a set of George Washington’s dentures!
View of the Potomac River from George Washington’s home, Mount Vernon.
The Mount Vernon grounds include an impressive museum.
The Potomac River wharf.
Gardens the slaves used to work in that are still kept up!
George Washington’s grave is a bit more extravagant than the other presidents in this post.
Here lays one of our Founding Fathers, the first president of the United States.
View of the Potomac River from George Washington’s home, Mount Vernon.
The Mount Vernon grounds include an impressive museum.
The Potomac River wharf.
Gardens the slaves used to work in that are still kept up!
George Washington’s grave is a bit more extravagant than the other presidents in this post.
Here lays one of our Founding Fathers, the first president of the United States.
Orange BBQ and Brews Fest
Even though we lived in C-ville, we worked in the small town of Orange about 30-40 minutes east. During our local weekend we wanted to experience this small-town vibe further, so for Saturday evening we drove back to Orange to partake in their BBQ and Brews Fest. It was located smack dab in their downtown which was another cool historic district. We snagged the last full rack of ribs and a beer and sat down to listen to the blues music filling the air.
Orange BBQ and Brews Fest
Boylan Heights
A couple of Megan’s friends from high school, Emily and Joe, were also visiting C-ville this weekend with their friends, so we got in touch with them for a late-night drink! They currently live in DC and were checking out the western Virginia wineries as well. We met up with them at Boylan Heights, which is definitely another college bar perfect for watching the Cavalier basketball games. The cool thing is they sell boozy milkshakes before 10 PM, where you can pick one of their shake flavors and one of their liquors in stock for a create your own indulgence! We slurped down a s’mores and whipped cream vodka concoction along with a chocolate and peppermint schnapps combination that were both great.
Boozy milkshakes at Boylan Heights!
Ivy Provisions
The fun was not over on Sunday! We woke up too early again and headed straight for food at Ivy Provisions. This is a sweet little coffee shop that is also dishing out traditional breakfast/lunch food items with a twist. Really order anything to help wake you up and explode your taste buds- we grabbed The Regular and The Rock breakfast sandwiches, and Megan enjoyed a coconut pie latte.
Ivy Provisions
Great breakfast sandwiches and fufu coffee drinks here!
Ivy Provisions
Great breakfast sandwiches and fufu coffee drinks here!
Monticello
Ready to attack another day, we ubered down to another one of the most famous homes in America- Monticello. The fantastic Thomas Jefferson home, perched upon one of the rolling hills through C-ville, was Megan’s favorite. Jefferson was not only the author of the Declaration of Independence and a President, but he was also an architect! You can just tell more thought was put into it design-wise than Montpelier and Mount Vernon. It’s a very cool home with great surrounding areas to stroll or to stop and gaze at the view. When you first arrive, you’ll be at the ticketing area, gift shop, and other museum exhibits. And then you get to take a shuttle bus up to the back entrance of the home if you do not want to hike! For your house tour, you’ll get a knowledgeable guide to lead you through all available rooms. After the tour, we opted to walk down the trail that would shoot us back out to the museum exhibits and offer a brief glance at Mulberry Row, where the slaves lived, and Thomas Jefferson’s final resting place.
Monticello: Thomas Jefferson’s impressive home.
If you look very closely (in the hole in the trees), you can see UVA’s library that Jefferson designed!
Gardens along Mulberry Row where slaves lived and worked.
Thomas Jefferson’s grave. He wanted to be remembered for 3 things: author of the Declaration of Independence, author of the Statute of Virginia for religious freedom, and Father of the University of Virginia.
Monticello: Thomas Jefferson’s impressive home.
If you look very closely (in the hole in the trees), you can see UVA’s library that Jefferson designed!
Gardens along Mulberry Row where slaves lived and worked.
Thomas Jefferson’s grave. He wanted to be remembered for 3 things: author of the Declaration of Independence, author of the Statute of Virginia for religious freedom, and Father of the University of Virginia.
Carter Mountain Orchard
Now that learning about various historical homes was over for the weekend, it was time for even more fun and relaxation! Carter Mountain Orchard is very close to Monticello and it is a pick your own fruit/veggies orchard very much worth driving up for. It had the best view of the weekend by far. They also sell Bold Rock Ciders here to pair with their award-winning Apple Cider Doughnut and Apple Caramel Cookie. They can even make you an apple or peach slushie float!
Carter Mountain Orchard with a great view of Charlottesville!
A taste of the market at Carter Mountain.
Where you can get anything APPLE!
Carter Mountain Orchard with a great view of Charlottesville!
A taste of the market at Carter Mountain.
Where you can get anything APPLE!
Blenheim Winery
The furthest south winery we went to was called Blenheim, and it is known for being associated with Dave Matthews from DMB. They have some outdoor patio areas, one covered and one not, but you want to go down to their eco-friendly wooden cabin for a tasting. It’s a super peaceful triangular shaped building with a small deck to view the never-ending vineyards.
Dave Matthew’s Blenheim Winery.
Gabriele Rausse Winery
On the road north back toward downtown C-ville, take care not to miss the Gabriele Rausse tasting room. Gabriele is supposedly the Mondavi of Virginia- and his wine is great. The room itself is another small, eco-friendly wooden structure to really capture the nature you see all around. With each tasting you get a sample of bread and olive oil which is a nice plus. The bar is mainly staffed by Gabriele’s two sons who run most of the show now.
Gabriele Rausse Winery
Where they also give you olive oil and bread!
Gabriele Rausse Winery
Where they also give you olive oil and bread!
Rivanna River Co.
We wrapped up our Sunday afternoon with a 1.5-mile tubing trip down the Rivanna River which pierces right through C-ville. The Rivanna River Co. provided the tubes for 2-3 hours for ~$25/person. This is the definition of relaxing- sprawled out over an inner tube, catching some sun while you lazily drift down a perfect temperature river. There’s even a rope swing you come across if you’re so inclined. The company says no alcohol allowed, but they won’t say anything if you conceal your alcohol in an unmarked container and don’t get belligerent. We put some Bold Rock Cider into our canisters and off we went!
Rivanna River Co. where we rented tubes to float down the river!
Enjoying some river time!
With mountain views!
Rivanna River Co. where we rented tubes to float down the river!
Enjoying some river time!
With mountain views!
Stonefield Cinema
To cap off the weekend, we really wanted to see the new Aladdin movie. One of our co-workers mentioned the Stonefield & IMAX theatre being the best option, so we decided to give it a try. To be honest, it’s just like any other movie theater, unless you’re able to see a film in their 1 IMAX stadium.
Now that’s a weekend! Wow we did a lot. Essentially, we learned that the greater C-ville area has a ton to offer anyone of any age. If you want to eat- there’s plenty. If you want to drink- they have that too. A little history lesson? Why not. Throw a top college in the middle of it all surrounded by beautiful scenery and you have a never-ending list of things to do!